New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, proclaiming his innocence from using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), filed a lawsuit against MLB and the MLB Players Association on Jan. 13 in an attempt to overturn his 162-game suspension next season.

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez filed a lawsuit on Jan. 13 against MLB and the MLB Players Association in an attempt to overturn his 162-game suspension in 2014.

Paul Hagen of the Yankees' official website writes more about Rodriguez's latest course of action to clear his name once and for all.

"Alex Rodriguez, in an attempt to have his suspension for the entire 2014 season overturned, filed suit against both Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association in New York on Monday two days after an independent arbitrator handed down his decision.

"Frederic Horowitz, who reduced what had originally been a 211-game suspension levied by MLB to 162 games plus the 2014 postseason, ruled that there was 'clear and convincing evidence' that Rodriguez, a 14-time All-Star and three-time American League Most Valuable Player, had not only used three banned substances, but twice attempted to thwart MLB's investigation of the Biogenesis scandal that resulted in the suspensions of 14 players in August.

"Earlier in the day, Rodriguez's attorneys and the MLBPA had sought to keep parts of the 33-page decision shielded from public view. That was rebuffed by U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III.

"The drama came one day after Anthony Bosch, founder of the now-defunct South Florida anti-aging clinic, claimed during an interview on CBS News' '60 Minutes,' among other things, that he had personally injected A-Rod with illegal performance-enhancing substances."

An Associated Pressreport released on Jan. 13 specifically states the substances used by Rodriguez as "testosterone, human growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 in 2010, 2011 and 2012 in violation of baseball's Joint Drug Agreement."

For his part, Steve Eder of The New York Timeswrites the Yankees third baseman accuses Horowitz of a "manifest disregard for the law," disregard for impartiality and refusal to consider evidence in his lawsuit.

As far as Rodriguez's accusation of the MLBPA is concerned, Eder writes the lawsuit fails "to intervene to stop the leaking of 'prejudicial information' by Major League Baseball and of failing to stop what what it described as the 'abusive investigative tactics' that baseball used to obtain evidence against Rodriguez."

Here is an excerpt from the actual lawsuit --which Eder uploaded -- found on page 3:

"As if this were not enough, MLBPA -- the exclusive bargaining representative for Mr. Rodriguez and all MLB players, and supposedly the most powerful union in sports -- completely abdicated its responsibility to Mr. Rodriguez to protect his rights under the agreements between MLB and MLBPA by: failing to intervene to stop the continuous leaking of prejudicial information concerning Mr. Rodriguez and the Grievance by MLB and its officials;

"...failing to stop MLB's commencement of a sham lawsuit in Florida solely aimed at obtaining evidence to be used against MLB players like Mr. Rodriguez; and failing to stop the abusive investigative tactics taken by MLB and its investigators to obtain evidence against Mr. Rodriguez.

"To make matters worse, MLBPA even went so far as to make public statements to the media, through its Executive Director, falsely declaring Mr. Rodriguez's guilt and stating that he should accept a suspension and resolve the Grievance at issue -- all, of course, without Mr. Rodriguez's consent and without even consulting with him."

Hagen quotes MLBPA executive director Tony Clark, who said in a statement that Rodriguez's claims are "completely without merit."

"It is unfortunate that Alex Rodriguez has chosen to sue the Players Association. His claim is completely without merit, and we will aggressively defend ourselves and our members from these baseless charges."

Rodriguez's lawsuit comes in light of him admitting to using PEDs in 2009 while he was with the Texas Rangers from 2001-03, per The Associated Press report.